A Demon Of A Match-up

De Paul Gets Another Shot At Loyola

Loyola vs. De Paul. A Chicago basketball showdown. A rivalry that splits the city.

On Feb. 12, Loyola`s men`s team beat De Paul 78-71 to earn the title of city champs, at least for this season.

Now it`s the women`s turn. Friday at 7:30 p.m., the Loyola women will play the Lady Blue Demons in the Ramblers` Alumni Gym. This time the hype will be missing. So will the fans. Many of the seats will be empty. But the players don`t need anyone to remind them that this game is different.

``No question, it`s the big game of the year for both teams,`` says first-year De Paul women`s coach Jim Izard. ``It`s just so close, and both teams want to win so badly. The players know each other; they`re good friends off the court. But they sure like to beat each other on the court.``

Loyola defeated De Paul twice in close games last year, and the Ramblers did it again a month ago, edging De Paul 73-70 in De Paul`s gym.

Both teams are approaching the end of good seasons. Loyola is 16-7 and De Paul is 17-8, for the Blue Demons` first winning record in three years.

The game will match two of the best guards in the area. The Demons` Sally Anderson, a 5-foot-6-inch sophomore, is averaging 19 points a game and is on the verge of becoming the women`s single-season scoring leader at De Paul. The Ramblers` Faith ``Magic`` Mimnaugh, a 5-2 senior, leads the NCAA Division I women in assists with an average of 11.6 a game.

Demon Tracy Manuel gives De Paul an edge on the boards. Since earning a regular starter`s position 12 games ago, the 5-10 junior is averaging 17.8 points and 14.8 rebounds a game.

Loyola coach Marty Hawkins anticipates a typically close game again Friday. ``In the last three years I don`t think there`s been a De Paul-Loyola game that hasn`t gone down to the wire,`` claims Hawkins. ``Right now, with Notre Dame leading the (women`s North Star) conference, we`re both playing for pride.``

In particular, the Ramblers will be wary of Anderson, ``who`s one of the best players in the league,`` Hawkins says.

Unlike the men`s game, this time the city championship won`t be on the line. ``Northwestern might be better than both of us,`` says Hawkins.